The Last Gemini
by Abbie Blizzard
Summary: Evangeline Parker hated weddings, especially ones for long-lost-sisters. When catastrophe strikes, she's forced to go on the run from a newly turned Kai. Hoping to fight hybrid against hybrid, she seeks refuge in New Orleans. Only to be swept up into a prophecy foretelling the original family's doom... With death and destruction following behind her, will she survive the year?
1. The Wedding From Hell

**Welcome to my first darkish fanfic!**

**Leave a review if you have any questions or just want say 'yoohoo!'**

**WARNING: Blood, Gore, Murder, psychopaths, trauma, violence.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of vampire diaries or originals or any of the characters. (Although I wish I did...)**

**OC - Evangeline Parker = Is my own creation! ;) **

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I was bored.

B. O. R. E. D.

As in, 'I have been watching the water droplets run down the car window for so long, I've named each one, created a fake life for them and placed bets on which one was going to reach the bottom first', bored.

And for what?

To attend my long-lost sister's wedding.

Never mind the fact that my brother was dead… Or that his funeral had only been a few months ago… or that Joe and I had never met before…

Basically, I was so mind-bogglingly bored, I was actually willing to entertain myself by thinking about what I was going to say when I finally met her for the first time.

The sad part was, I didn't even want to go in the first place!

Yet, here I was, sitting in the front seat of my dad's Jeep, moving agonizingly slowly towards Josette Parker's wedding in Mystic Falls, Virginia, USA.

"Are we there yet?" I asked for the nine hundred and fiftieth time today.

But could you blame me?

I WAS DYING OF BOREDOM OVER HERE!

"Five more minutes, Evangeline," Dad replied, not even bothering to address me by my preferred name. Which was just… UGH!

You would think that as my father's youngest child AND the only one still keeping him company at home, he would have learned to avoid using my full name by now!

He knew perfectly well that I preferred to be called 'Eve'. Just like how Olivia liked to be called 'Liv' or how Lukas liked to be called 'Luke'.

Luke…

God, I missed him.

My brain was still struggling to register that he wasn't coming home for summer break… that he would never be coming home again… Because he was gone now…

"We've arrived!" The car jerked to a sudden stop, sending me flying into the dashboard.

"Seriously, Dad? You couldn't have warned me first!"

He smirked as if he was still a mysterious coven leader. That was to say, he chuckled under his breath at my righteous rage while I glared back hatefully for cruel antics.

For Christ's sake!

His youngest son had just passed away at the hands of his oldest and he was acting like everything was fine. As if today was just another day at the rodeo!

Was he not supposed to be grieving like the rest of us?

God! What was wrong with him!?

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Dad hopped out of the car and straightened his tie. Leaving me to speculate on how exactly he managed to put a bit of pep in his step.

"Evangeline!" He knocked twice on the windshield, "Are you coming?"

His smile was wide and genuine, his eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun and the shadow of grief was absent from his shoulders. He seemed, for all tense and purposes, to be happy.

Which, in my opinion, was just plain disrespectful to Luke's memory.

"Haaaah," I sighed long and hard, "Dear God, please make sure this wedding doesn't suck balls, Amen."

Pushing open the car door, I replied with a quick "Coming!" before stepping out, ready to face the storm.

And, OH BOY! Was it a shitstorm if I ever saw one.

My oh-so-loved big sis had chosen a barn for her wedding venue. Cocktail stands had been erected on the grass, decorated with pretty pink flowers and white silks. Waiters, who clearly wanted to be anywhere but here, were busy passing out champagne flutes to any guest that seemed ready to doze off (They were all dozing off).

Not to mention the seats were made of hay bales!

To top it all off, large wooden poles had been randomly stuck in the ground and connected via beautifully twinkling fairy lights that did my head in. Oh, and there was a mini-orchestra guarding over the punch stand. Although, only the violinist was actually playing…?

"Wow," Dad nodded his head in approval, "This is lovely."

"Oh yea," I said, "Very chic."

I had already regretted my decision to come.

Before my emotionally-dead-to-the-world father could rope me into greeting the whole clan, I stomped up the hill to find a wall I could bash my head into.

It was lucky I did too!

Great Aunt Dorothy had seen her chance as I made my exit and had greedily sunk her talons into Dad's arm and dragged him away to some secluded nook for a 'chat'.

"Idiot," I rolled my eyes, when was he ever going to learn?

If I had a coven leader for as long as he had, I would have turned dodging the elders into an art form by now. But not my dad! He was caught off guard within seconds, Every! Single! Time! One of them approached.

It was truly pathetic.

"Eve?"

CRAP! My ears recognised that voice…

Preparing to dodge and ditch, I turned around as slowly as I could.

"Yes?" I asked gingerly.

Suddenly, my arms were pinned by my sides and I was engulfed in a boney hug. "It is so good to see you again!" Great-Aunt Dena gripped my shoulders tight before pulling me back for inspection, "You have grown into quite the young lady, hmm?"

I inwardly cringed at her choice of outfit. She wore her curly grey hair in a bob that highlighted her six chins and decorated her plump body in a frilly monstrosity coloured a putrid shade of plume, of all things?

"Oh, I'm sure boys simply flock towards you!" She chuckled merrily as she pinched my cheeks. "Now," she transferred her iron grip to my hands and pulled me towards a table filled with drunk teenage boys.

"Have you met my grandson, Nicholas, yet? I believe he is your third cousin, twice removed, making you two the same age!"

Cold hard dread swelled in my chest.

'_Good God, please let this be some other Nicholas!'_

"He just graduated and is applying for college," The old croon said, "Top of his class, is my Nicholas! Oh, you two will be a perfect match, I assure you!"

As soon as we reached the table, all five occupants' eyes were on us.

Boy number one, I recognised as cousin shaggy. Known for his untameable hair that he eventually learnt was easier to handle when he grew it out. Boy number two, his younger brother by the look of him, I vaguely remembered was being called 'Henry?'

Boys number three and four were a complete mystery…

Their blond, blue-eyed faces were just like Liv's. Yet, the nasty glint in their eyes that seemed to promise physical harassment, set them apart from her.

And then there was Nicholas.

He looked like the tall, strapping young lad he was in my dreams… ARGH! What was I thinking? He was my mortal enemy!

"Nicholas, my dear!" Dena cooed, going in for a one-handed hug (Her other still holding my hands hostage!)

"Grandma D," Nik returned the hug before eyeing me, "Who is this?"

His dismissal hit me like a slap in the face.

'_Who is this?'_ He had asked? _'WHO IS THIS?'_

We both knew I knew he knew who the bloody hell I was!

…Not that I could say anything out loud.

Great Aunt Dena tittered, "Don't be so rude! Do you remember Evangeline Parker? Joshua's youngest? I believe you two met last thanksgiving, correct?"

Our eyes met and I scowled.

Let him play the amnesiac, it was his funeral!

"Nicholas… Stank, right?" I asked innocently.

The boys at the table laughed, shamelessly listening in on our little battle of wits.

"It's 'Stonk' actually," Nik said.

"Oh, my bad!" I smiled serenely, "You'll have to forgive me, I don't make a habit of remembering the names of ever bitch I meet."

A chorus of 'oooh's circled around the make-shift battleground.

Nicholas openly glared, "Funny, I was gonna say the same thing about you!"

"Good heavens!" Dena cried, horrified at our, no doubt 'inappropriate,' display.

"Huh, so you do remember me, hmm?" I crossed my arms and raised a brow, "What took you so long? Testosterone scrambled your brains, Nik?"

"Don't go playing the martyr, _Eve!_" He growled, "It doesn't suit you."

"Like your one to judge, _Nicholas_. I'm not the one who strung a girl along, only to reveal he already had a girlfriend after he got what he came for!"

"You were the one who guilt-tripped me, crying and whining on my shoulder like a baby!"

"MY BROTHER HAD JUST DIED, YOU ASSHOLE!"

Nobody talked.

Nobody moved.

The entire coven and friends had frozen in shock at my angry outburst.

But, at that moment, I didn't care.

Lukas was dead… my one-night stand was being a dick... And my family was too busy celebrating a wedding to give a damn…

"Screw this!" Spinning on my heel, I let my instincts guide me towards the restroom.

'**Motus!'**

The toilet door burst open, slamming into the wall with a loud 'BANG!'

I took two steps in, turned on the faucet and was hit with a wave of sadness.

Tears streamed down my cheeks and the weight in my chest was squeezing the air out of my lungs. But all I could do was let myself cry, cry, cry. Until my eyes burned, my nose ran wild with snot, my head pounded like a drum and all my make-up was ruined.

Then, I cried some more.

Through it all, the image of Luke stayed at the forefront of my mind…

His overly serious face would beam back at me, simultaneously lighting up my world and making me feel awful over some non-existent crime at the same time…

His absence hurt.

Remembering him hurt.

Just saying his name hurt.

But what could I do?

Gone was gone! There was nothing I could do to bring him back! The person-shaped hole in my life was never going to be filled or fixed or healed!

"You okay?"

Liv appeared in the doorway, looking fabulous in her black cocktail dress and black stilettoes. It was a mix between goth and couture that suited her to a T.

"Cuz you look like crap," She crossed her arms and leant against the doorframe.

"Yea, well, that's probably because I feel like crap."

Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline, "No clever quip today? You're losing your touch, Eve."

"Cut me some slack," My head drooped onto the rim of the sink, "I'm grieving."

The soft 'click-clack' of Liv's heels drew closer as she walked across the black and white tiles. A hand, warm and comforting, tucked a stray curl behind my ear before pulling me into a much-needed hug.

A strangled croak slipped from my lips.

Liv held me closer.

"Shhh, it's okay," She whispered, "I miss him too."

One little sentence and the flood gates burst open again.

"It hurts," I cried shamelessly into her shoulder and held on for dear life, "I miss him so much, Liv!"

Like an amazing, wonderful, selfless sister, Liv refused to let me fall into despair in the middle of a barn restroom alone. She rubbed circles into my back, ran her fingers through my curly hair and let my snot and tears soak into her dress.

After what felt like centuries, I finally pulled back and took a deep breath.

"Thanks," I wiped my eyes and sniffled pathetically.

My chest still ached, my heart still bled but that giant, brother-shaped wound in the middle of my soul hurt just a tiny bit less with my big sister's support.

We had lost our brother and it hurt.

But I now knew I wasn't the only one grieving at Joe's wedding.

Liv was hurting just as much, if not more and she was holding it together like an absolute pro! There were no tears in her eyes, no forced smile painted across her lips, she was just quietly sad and ignoring the shroud of sorrow floating behind her back.

God, I was such a mess compared to her!

Why couldn't I have held off the emotional rollercoaster until AFTER the bloody wedding?!

"Come on, let's go get our seats," Liv said, walking towards the door.

"Wait… what?"

The only sister I'd ever known looked over her shoulder and shot me a look that just screamed, _'Are you stupid?' The ceremony is about to start!' _

My jaw dropped, gobsmacked.

"Do you expect me to go out there looking like a total train wreck?!" I demanded.

Liv quirked her lips, "Isn't that what you always look like?"

"Ha. Ha. Now lend me your mascara."

A few splashes of cold water on my face, a fresh coat of mascara and some blush did wonders for my complexion. All trace of my cryfest was successfully hidden and Liv had vanished the tears stains from my black and white skater dress.

Normally, I wouldn't be caught dead in anything resembling a skirt. But Dad had refused to let me wear my trademark jeans and hoodie combo. Therefore, forcing me to dig deep and suffer the humiliation of a dress. Though I refused to budge when it came to my black converse high tops!

Annnnd… I hate to admit it, but I was glad I did it.

Outside, the coven members had looked average or at least not traditionally dressy.

Inside was another story entirely!

All the boys were decked out in dress suits, a patterned tie or a single coloured bowtie added for flavour. While all the girls were dressed in beautiful free-flowing dresses. Ranging from short-sleeved, long-sleeved or no sleeved, knee-length, floor-length, or skorts.

It was like stepping into a twenty-first century ballroom!

Of course, the heavily decorated barn helped too.

The rafters of the barn roof were hidden away by blue silks and fairy lights. Pink and white material had been half-heartedly scrunched together in the hopes of resembling flowers and stuck against the wails. More fairy lights and pink silks connect them and it looked awfully tacky.

The room had been split into two sides using two identical sections of uncomfortable wooden chairs (spray painted gold for heaven sake!) Allowing for an unimpressive aisle donned with three chandeliers to run down the middle.

If it weren't for the raised platform swamped in pink and white flowers, the whole thing would have looked like a mess.

Yet, somehow it didn't?

Altogether, the individual elements transformed the place into a mini paradise.

"I hate it," I said, turning towards the doors, "I'm gonna wait outside."

Liv grabbed my wrist and yanked me away from freedom, "Suck it up, princess. If I have to sit through this lame ass wedding then so do you."

She dragged me winging and moaning all the way to the front where little place cards had reserved the front row for immediate family. Sadly, that meant only mine, Liv's and Dad's names were written down.

It would have been four if Lukas were still here… or nine… If Mum, Gabriel, Rachel, Hannah and Joseph were here too…

"Sit down! The music's starting," Liv stage whispered.

I took a deep breath, locked the flood gates shut and sat down next to my sis and Dad's empty chair.

Which struck me as oddly suspicious.

Where was he? Did he not know the ceremony was about to start?

I wouldn't have been surprised if he were still being held up somewhere by an overly chatty elder or had snuck off to do who knows what at who knows where?

It was typical dad behaviour in my book.

At a quarter to eight, everyone took their seats, the lucky groom-to-be shuffled nervously down the aisle and onto the impromptu stage and the music began.

Truthfully, I had been expecting the classic 'ba dah dah daa, ba dah daa dah' melody. But Joe had decided to go along with the barnyard theme and hired some douche with a guitar to strum along to his own beat.

Which he did.

For twenty minutes straight…?!

Whispered chatter filled the room, my butt went numb and poor Alaric Saltzman looked ready to tip over. Sweat glistened on his forehead, his hands shook and his eyes kept surveying the room over and over again.

"What is taking so long?" I asked.

Liv crossed her legs and shrugged, "Who knows? Mabey Joe bailed."

"Is she the type?"

"Normally," She said, "But since she's pregnant, I doubt it."

"PREGNANT!?"

I nearly fell off my chair in shock!

This was insane…

Josette was fucking pregnant?

Had that been why Dad forced me to come along? Because my eldest sister was about tio have kids? Making him a Grandpa and Liv and I Aunties!

Oh my god, OF COURSE, that was the reason.

He had duped me into coming along under false pretences, the sly fox!

"I believe she's having twin girls," Liv answered my unsaid question, "They're six weeks old."

Six. Weeks. Old.

"WHAT!"

Liv slapped my shoulder and told me to shush.

But I would not be quiet about this!

"My nieces are six weeks old and NOBODY bothered to TELL ME?"

"Shut up! The music is playing," Liv looked around frantically, dead eyeing anyone who dared to stare.

"Seriously?" I said, "The music has been playing for the last thirty minutes and nothing's happened!"

She brought her finger up to her lips and shushed me AGAIN!

I opened my mouth, ready to spit fire, when the words died in my throat.

The music had changed.

We both spun around to see two individuals stumbling down the aisle all flustered.

Liv smiled and shot me an _'I told you so'_ look.

"Bitch," I sneered back.

"Evangeline."

It was times like these where I questioned my sanity. Because my sister was a professional backstabber and I didn't know why I kept forgetting that fact.

I promised myself I would get her back later.

A chorus of harmonized 'aww's floated through the air as all heads turned to see none other than the late bride-to-be… and my dad?

"What is he doing?" I whispered.

No reply came.

Liv was just as confused as I was.

…And wasn't that a weird feeling?

Never, in my entire life had both of us not known what was going on at the same time…

'_You experience something new every day.'_

Despite the highly unusual sight of Dad holding Joe's hand, Father and Daughter slow-walked down the aisle together, looking like the perfect picture of content.

He helped her onto the stage, kissed her hand then sat down a proud man.

The wedding had officially started.

Whoopie.

"Welcome family and friends on this magical evening," Aunt Dena started, "To the wedding of Alaric Saltzman and Josette Laughlin."

Said happy couple gazed lovingly into each other's eyes.

It made me want to puke!

"Josette and Alaric have prepared their own vows."

"Cry me a river," I whispered.

Liv elbowed me in the ribs with the force of speeding truck!

Yep, I was definitely going to get her back for that.

Alaric cleared his throat and launched into his heart-warming speech, "Neither one of us should be here right now. We have spent our lives dodging fate and beating the odds. But, because we did, I got to meet you. The most beautiful, hilarious and intimidatingly brilliant woman I have ever known! You inspire me, you have shown me that happiness is actually something I can have in my life."

Tears pooled in Joe's eyes and Alaric had to stop and take a deep breath.

"And so," He continued, gently slipping the ring onto her finger, "I promise to be with you and love you and dodge fate with you for the rest of our lives."

Everybody smiled.

Sweeter words couldn't have been said.

"Josette?" Aunt Dena placed a soft hand on a speechless joe's shoulder.

She turned in surprise before snapping back into reality.

"Oh god," She wiped her eyes and let out a nervous chuckle, "That's a tough act to follow."

Coven and friends laughed.

I bit my lip to stop myself from gagging.

The whole wedding ceremony was beginning to make up for the previous weeks' melancholy in spades. Alaric was a helpless romantic, I decided. His dinky smile, charming words and complete sincerity formed a perfect package and although I didn't know Joe, even a blind man could've seen they were meant for each other.

"Alaric Saltzman," She began, "You are, AHHH!"

Out of nowhere, Josette jerked forward!

"Joe?" Alaric reached forward and grabbed her shoulders.

She jerked again.

"Joe! What is it?"

A powerful sinking feeling hit the bottom of my stomach… Something was wrong!

"AHHHH!" A circle of blood appeared in the middle of Joe's dress.

This was really, Really, REALLY BAD!

"Oh god!" Alaric stepped forward and caught Joe as she collapsed, "No, no, NO!"

We all sat dumbfounded as the bride bleed to death in the arms of the groom.

I didn't know what to do… what could I do?... Joe was bleeding and Alaric was crying…

'_DO SOMETHING, NOW!'_

… but what?

"I was gonna wait till the death do us part bit, but it seemed a little on the nose."

A dude was standing in the middle of the stage, a toothy smile lighting up his handsome face. He looked unconcerned that a pregnant woman was dying at his feet.

If anything, he actually seemed to be enjoying watching her as the last breath left her lungs.

"Am I right?" He turned to the coven; arms raised as if he expected us to nod.

"Who's that?"

I hadn't been waiting for an answer, but an answer I got.

Dad jumped to his feet as Liv gasped, "Kai…"

My brain screeched to a halt.

…Kai…

Malachai…?

As in prison World Kai…

… The murderer of my Mum, sisters, brothers and Lukas…Kai?

The Kai that was supposed to be trapped in another Prison World, Malachai?

"…"

There was just no way!

He was trapped. Imprisoned. Captured.

Definitely NOT here right NOW!

I opened my mouth, prepared to swear my way to hell and back when the villain of my nightmares raised his hands and my body seized in pain.

"Miss me?"

My head hurt, my back hurt, my mouth tasted like iron, blood was trickling from my nose!

I clutched my head and slid to my knees, "AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Every piece of my being was on fire!

"No? Oh well."

As my vision began to blur, Malachai Parker, my oldest brother and self-proclaimed sociopath, flicked his wrists and the room exploded.

**P.s. She is alive, just unconscious.**

**Follow or leave a comment if you dare! ;) :D**


	2. Someone, Save Me!

**Enjoying the story so far? Cuz I know I'm sure having a blast writing it :)**

**Thanks for all the reviews xx **

**WARNING: Gore, trauma, murder, violence, death, psychopaths and looooots of crying.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own vampire diaries or the originals and am just borrowing Julie Plec's characters (Sadly...)**

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"_Thirty-eight… thirty-nine… FORTY!" I opened my eyes and turned towards the door, "Ready or not, here I come!"_

_Running through the house, my keen eyes took in every nook and cranny. _

"_Come out! Come out! Wherever you are!" I pulled back the curtains and found nothing._

_Annoyed, I proceeded up the stairs to check the bedrooms._

"_Hellooooo?"_

_Lukas and Olivia were nowhere to be found. Not behind the curtains, not under the stairs, not in the cupboards or under the beds. Not even in the attic or under the house!_

_I wondered if they had cheated and cloaked themselves…_

"_Come on guys!" I stomped my foot and angrily folded my arms in a huff, "Stop cheating!"_

"_EVE!"_

_Who was that? Spinning around I came face to face with a girl!_

_She kinda looked like me… expect not?_

_I didn't know her but she seemed familiar somehow…_

"_What are you doing here?" She asked._

"_What do you mean? Aren't we playing Hide and Seek?"_

_Things were getting very confusing… I wondered what was going on?_

_The girl shook her head, "No, no, you can't be here, Eve!"_

"_Why not?" I took a step back, she was beginning to scare me, "What's going on?"_

_Suddenly, she lunged forward and shook me back and forth, "YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP, EVE!"_

_What was the crazy girl talking about? Wake up? But I wasn't dreaming so, how could I?_

"_Stop it!" I shoved her away, "You're ruining the game!"_

_The girl looked around frantically, searching for something as if her life depended on it. I really didn't care. She had made me mad by stuffing up the game! _

_I went to start counting again when she lunged toward me._

"_WAKE UP!" She screamed as we crashed into the ground, "LEAVE! RIGHT NOW!"_

"_Stop it!" I tried to shove her away but she was stronger than me! She pinned my arms at my sides with her knees and pulled out Dad's hunting knife._

"_What are you-" _

_She raised it above her head with both hands, "I'm sorry Eve, but this is the only way…"_

_I opened my mouth to scream when the knife came down and sliced through my chest!_

"AHHHH!" I bolted upright in a cold sweat, gasping for breath!

The knife!

My chest!

Lucas and Olivia!

A thousand and one thoughts swirled around my head like a tornado.

There had been an explosion… Kai had been there… and then I was playing Hide and Seek at home… but twenty-two-year-old Luc had shown up and ruined it… then he had stabbed me in the chest…

"Oh no!" My hands patted their way down my body, checking for cuts or bruises or any sign of the attack.

But there was nothing. My body was completely unharmed, there wasn't even a dull ache…

'_You imagined it, Eve.'_

No, no. If I had only made it all up in my mind, then I wouldn't have felt pain as the cool steel pierced my heart… Which meant I had been stabbed… just not with an actual knife…?

Slowly, I rose to my feet and looked around. What I saw left my body paralyzed!

To my left, a sea of dead bodies impaled by pieces of broken chairs littered the floor. They were all dead, their eyes left staring vacantly into space. Now only shelves of their former selves rotting in pools of their own blood.

To my right, the remains of shattered windows lay scattered over more corpses. The fairy lights now hung limply from the roof as the chandeliers swayed dangerously close to the carnage below.

"Oh my god…" I couldn't believe what I was seeing!

Alaric Saltzman and Joe were gone too, nothing but a splatter of blood left in their wake…

"Eve?" Dads voice shattered the silence in an instant.

"DAD!" Immediately, all my attention locked on to his broken form. He lay mere metres away from the stage, coughing up blood through desperate gasp for breath.

In the blink of an eye, I was kneeling by his side and cradling him in my arms.

"Dad!" He was in bad shape. His eyes were wild and bloodshot, a sheen of sweat covered his skin, shards of glass stuck out of his chest and blood was gushing from his ears and mouth.

"What's going on? What happened?" I asked.

He opened his mouth to speak and choked.

"Dad? DAD!" My hands tipped his head to the side and held him steady as he vomited up chunks of dark, red goo. His chest rattled dangerously as he took in air before collapsing, boneless.

I was scared!

My dad was dying and I didn't know how to save him!

"K, kai-" Dad shut his eyes and wheezed, "D… d, dead."

Wait… what?

Our coven leader was dead?

But, as all our lives and magic were tied to his lifeforce, if he were gone then every single Gemini Witch would follow him to the grave!

"No," I could not believe it…

"e, eve…" My father's voice was quiet now, no louder than a whisper, "pro… tect…t,twins…"

"What do you mean?" I sobbed, confused and afraid, "Aren't they dead?"

"no… spell… v,vamp…ire…"

Another coughing fit shook his body to the bone. He couldn't open his eyes now; they were swollen shut. The steadily growing pool of his blood had reached my knees and was gaining ground.

A wave of panic washed through my senses!

I didn't want to be left to die alone!

"NO! Dad, no!" I held his hands in my own, "You can't leave me! Don't leave me, please!"

His grip was fading fast, yet, by pure force of will, he continued to talk, "s, safe… in her… woo… mmb…"

"I don't understand, Dad! What are you talking about?!" When he didn't immediately reply, my eyes scanned the room, looking for someone to help.

But nobody else was breathing.

"taaake our… m, magic…" One final breath left his lungs and his body slumped.

"Dad? DAD, WAKE UP!" I slapped his cheek, "Come on, Dad! Please, don't go! Don't leave me alone!"

He didn't move.

"Dad?" My hands stilled on his neck, hoping with all my heart that I would feel a pulse or the flicker of a heat beat or anything!

Except there was nothing for me to find. No pulse, no heartbeat, no miracle from heaven or a sliver of hope. He was utterly and irreversibly still…

"no, No, NOOOOO!" I dropped my head onto Dad's shoulder and cried like never before.

The flood gates opened and my very soul bled! All the grief that had been festering for months, now consumed me from the inside out! I had lost everything and now I was all alone! Everything that kept me whole had been torn out of my reach in one foul swoop!

First, my mother!

Then, my siblings; Gabriel, Rachel, Hannah and Joseph!

Lucas and Josette!

Dad, Olivia and my unborn nieces!

Now, I was the only one left alive… and I was going to die… all alone…

'_No, you're not, Eve.'_

I shook my head at that ridiculous notion. Of course, I was going to die alone, there was no one else alive in the barn. It couldn't get any clearer than that!

'_Think! If everyone else is already dead, then logically you should be too, right?'_

Okay… I guess that point had some truth to it…

'_But you're not! What does that tell you?'_

It told me that… NO! I squeezed my eyes shut and refused to think about it any longer!

I was going to die here.

Anything else was simply impossible!

'_Or too scary to handle...'_

"SHUT UP!" I screamed.

"HELLO?" A voice echoed across the room, loud and proud, "Anyone still alive?"

Without having to think, I muttered an **'Invisique!'** under my breath, a wave of frost bite fear clutching my heart. Whose voice was that? Was I hearing voice out loud now too?

I looked up to investigate and saw a truly impossible sight…

Kai Parker, alive and in the flesh?!

Except that wasn't possible... because Kai was dead! Dad had said so himself!

Sitting, dumb-founded, I watched as my not-so-dead coven leader stumbled past the first chandelier and tripped on a stray arm… very much alive?!

A quizzical look crossed his face before he brushed aside imaginary dust and proceeded to push past the second chandelier. When he tried to walk past, his ill timing earned him a solid 'WHACK!' as the decorative lights swung back around and hit his shoulder.

It was actually kinda comical how he stumbled about, flailing his arms around as he tried to keep his balance. He shuffled through the chaos like a drunkard going for a stroll!

I had to wonder if I wasn't imagining things…?

Because, by all logical reasoning, Kai should have been as dead as a door nail! Yet, from where I sat on the floor, the dead-but-not-dead Malachai seemed far too alive to be an illusion… which meant… I was dreaming?

"Anyone alive, raise your hand!" Leading by example, Kai raised his own hand stupidly glanced around as if expecting the dead to answer his call.

"I need blood!" He panted, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"You need more than blood," A sweet voice stated, "Mabey some ointment?"

Together, Kai and my invisible self, turned to watch as a chocolate skinned witch weaved her way to the centre of the hall.

She pointed at her neck and pulled a disgusted face, "Because, gross."

Now I definitely knew I wasn't dreaming.

There was simply NO WAY my imagination could have dreamt up a girl as cool and confident as this witch was. She was balancing her sexy seduction and girl-next-door look like a pro.

She was a hot mocha latte just waiting to burn your lips.

Which meant this was really happening… I wasn't dead… I wasn't dreaming… This wasn't some twisted hallucination…

It was ACTUALLY happening?!

I WASN'T DYING!?

'_I told you so…'_

"…"

HOLY CRAP! I WASN'T DYING!

I WAS GOING TO LIVE!

Hope, warm and bright, wrapped around my body in a joyous embrace! There was still time left for me! I had one chance, just one, to escape the fate of my coven and live! My silent tears stopped flowing as a new strength I never knew I had, took root in my veins and filled my entire being with life!

"I promise you Dad, I will protect the Gemini's legacy and make you proud," I whispered.

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

My chest tightened at the sound of Kai's fake laugh.

…I had almost forgotten about the one obstacle standing in my way.

One wrong move and my mass-murdering brother would DEFINETLY discover me!

Then it would game over before you could say _**'Motus!'**_

"Your friends think your funny?" I held my breath as Kai tugged at his bloodied collar, attention on the coffee witch. "Cuz maybe, if you were funny," He dropped his hand and sighed, "Or if you were the one with the good jokes or they could count on you to make them laugh, maybe… they'd be cool with letting you live instead of Elena."

The teen nodded as if that was sage advice, "You're right. Sadistic humour is your thing," She shrugged sarcastically, "I'm just the one that does magic…"

The air around her shifted and a small smile lit up my face. Whoever this chick was, she was not afraid to go toe to toe with Kai.

She raised her hand and began squeezing it into fist.

My heart was in my throat as Kai grunted, clutching the sides of his head and swaying. He stumbled backwards and breathed harshly through his teeth, "Ha haaaha… Urf!"

"Undo the spell, Kai!" Like a total badass, the witch increased the power of the spell.

"Haaargh… I can't," He shook his head, wheezing out the words, "What's done is done."

"**OSSIX!" **She shouted.

A sickening snap pierced my ears and Kai cried out.

"AGAIN!"

Another painful snap and the sociopath fell to the ground!

"Ahhh! Hahahhaaa!" Instead of writhing and crying like a normal person, the sadistic bastard clutched his sides and rolled about in hysterical laughter.

"Hahahaaa… your face! Oh! Ohhh! Oooooh… I can't undo the spell, Bonnie," He smiled from ear to ear, "My death made it permanent."

Wait...

Sooo, he was dead?

But then, how was he still moving?!

The only thing that could rise from the dead were vampires. But Kai couldn't have been turned into one of those… Right? His siphoning ability should have drained all the magic out of his blood by now, leaving him a corpse!

'_Are you sure about that?'_

Meanwhile, Bonnie crossed her arms in forced calm. "Fine," She said, "I'll just wait for the werewolf bite to kill you."

"Oooorf!" Kai slowly but painfully, pulled himself up, "Ah! Ahhh! haaa…"

A heavy silence fell.

It was time I got the hell out of here!

Looking to the left and right, I noted the blown-out windows leading outside. Directly in front of me stood Bonnie, snapping a leg off of a wooden chair and Kai, staring thoughtfully into an electric candle. Behind me was stage, littered in shards of glass and rose petals.

The latter two obviously weren't an option.

I would have to go either right or left. But, as I only had one chance, I needed to know which side would lead me straight to the Parking Lott.

"You know what's funny?" Kai suddenly asked, "I didn't even know werewolves were real, until I got bit by one."

Bonnie was still occupying the left while Kai was… touching his neck wound?

I wondered about what he was trying to do, but I needn't have bothered.

My question was soon answered.

The air began to hum as the hand covering his bite glowed a brilliant red!?

"No. Way."

All the pieces of the puzzle came together as one. Kai was a Siphoner! Meaning he couldn't generate his own magic, just absorb it from others. Normally when a witch transitioned into a vampire, the earth cut of their connection to magic.

BUT! Vampirism in a Siphon's veins became a constant source of magic for them to absorb and use as long as they didn't siphon it all at once!

That was how Kai was 'alive' after dying AND still able to siphon magic!

He had turned himself into a fucking unstoppable killing machine, A HERETIC!

Almost as if to prove me right, he siphoned away the venom from his werewolf bite within seconds…

'_DO SOMETHING, EVE! YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!'_

But what could I do?

I could feel my magic waning as it continued to fuel my cloaking spell. Which meant I only had a few seconds left before it fell and he noticed my presence!

Running away wasn't going to work, he had vamp speed.

Fighting was a no-go, he had vamp strength.

And hiding was just plan stupid without magic, he had vamp hearing.

If I had more magic, I could probably hit him with a sleep/desiccation spell?

That would by me sometime to run away, lure him into a trap and kill the bastard later!

That could have worked… If I had the power of one hundred witch's worth of magic!

"The thing is, Bon," Kai stood up and brushed himself off, "The only way a guy turns into a wolf is if its magic, right? So technically, their venom is magic too. Sooo, I just went ahead and siphoned it up!"

He turned and faced Bonnie, all charm and sick sense of glee gone.

Think! Think! THINK! Where could I get that much magic? What spells did I know that gathered up magic? What spell was used to channel large quantities of magic?

HECK! What spell was used for channelling?

I was the daughter of the former Gemini Coven Leader. There HAD to be a SPECIFIC SPELL that Dad had taught me if ever needed more power at some point!

Kai raised his hand and Bonnie-the-badass rose into the air.

The floor was shaking, the chandeliers were tinkling and the wind was screaming!

"**MOTUS!" **Kai shouted and the witch smashed into the far wall, then crumpled to the ground in a heap of broken bones and pulled muscles.

"AHHhhh!" She rolled onto her side and coughed up blood… Just as Dad had.

"Nawww," The psychopath practically skipped over to her side, "The great Bonnie Bennett, brought to her knees by a widdle ol' me."

My stomach churned.

I only had three seconds left before he turned that sick mind on me!

'_COME ON, EVE! THINK OF A SPELL!'_

"I'm thinking, damn it!" I yelled.

But the smell of iron and rotting flesh kept distorting my thoughts. All I could think of was how many of my loved ones now lay as corpses… How I was the only Gemini left alive… How Dad's unblinking eyes stared up at me… Asking why I had survived instead of him?

He was the coven leader! He was the one who had merged with his twin! He was the one that held the power of the entire coven!

"You know bon-bon, I owe you my thanks," Kai said, "Without your betrayal, I would've never learned how to do this!"

He lowered himself to the floor and lay both hands on the blood-stained wood.

Immediately, his hands glowed red and the room began to vibrate.

'_He's absorbing the residual magic left after your coven's death!'_

For the second time that night, I muttered out a "No. Way."

Kai was siphoning away the magic of the entire coven…

Hang on a second… THAT'S IT!

The Ancestral Magic Transference Spell!

Dad had taught it too me on my eleventh birthday, saying it was an ancient spell that was once used by the Gemini if no twins were born in a generation to choose a new leader! The one who managed to merge the most magic with their own, became the new coven leader!

That was the spell I had been looking for!

Taking a deep breath, I shifted onto my knees, shut my eyes and dove deep, deep down into my well of magic. It tingled in reply, ready and eager to bend nature to my will.

"**Sanguis Sanguinem meum… Vas est cure et vos facultas… Sanguis Sanguinem meum… Vas est cure et vos facultas… Sanguis Sanguinem meum… Vas est cure et vos facultas…"**

Hundreds of memories began to flood into my mind. They pierced, ripped and tore it apart, gouging out spaces and letting them bleed out. Only to heal the wounds and do it all over again.

"**Sanguis Sanguinem meum, Vas est cure et vos facultas! Sanguis Sanguinem meum, Vas est cure et vos facultas! Sanguis Sanguinem meum, Vas est cure et vos facultas!"**

I felt invisible hands reach out of the earth and dig their bones into my skin. They scratched and pulled relentlessly, trying to reach inside my body and tear out my heart! I could feel their every emotion, every heart break, every new beginning and every ending as if it were my own!

"**SANGUIS SANGUINEM MEUM, VAS EST CURE ET VOS FACULTAS! SANGUIS SANGUINEM MEUM, VAS EST CURE ET VOS FACULTAS! SANGUIS SANGUINEM MEUM, VAS EST CURE ET VOS FACULTAS! SANGUIS SANGUINEM MEUM, VAS EST CURE ET VOS FACULTAS!"**

Voices pounded against my ear drums, screeching, wailing, laughing, singing! They blended into one another; all coherency lost. "I love you!", "HELP ME!", "Daddy, your home!", "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!", "Mum, what's going on?", "Kill them!", "It's twins!", "Remember your duty!", "NOOO!", "Hold her down!", "Mother, stop!", "Please don't leave me!", "NEVER!"

"AHHHHHHH!" I threw my head back and screamed, the pain was unbearable!

'_Keep going! Your nearly there, Eve!'_

"**SANGUIS SANGUINEM MEUM, VAS EST CURE ET VOS FACULTAS!"**

Magic, old, young and powerful, settled over my shoulders like a blanket of lava. It sizzled past my skin and muscles, merging itself with blood, veins and bone with no regard for me.

I was just about to collapse when it spoke in my head, _**"Protect The Gemini At All Costs."**_

"_I will,_" I thought back, _"Even if it's the last thing I do!"_

The magic merged.

I opened eyes.

Bonnie lay on the floor, staring at me in wonder. I ignored her, I had more important things on my plate right now. Like getting the hell away from Kai!

Said devil had moved during my spell. He now stood not two metres away from me, sickly sweet smirk on his lips, "Are you going to kill me, Sweetheart?"

"**Invisique!"** I cried.

He laughed as my feet began navigating their way through the wreckage. Past the shards of glass, over the dead bodies of my coven, under the flickering fairy lights and ripped drapes.

All the while, my veins thrummed with barely restrained energy. With every step I took towards the windows it cried out, desperate to unleash pain and destruction on anything and everything!

"You can hide as long as you like!" Kai shouted, "But, no matter where you go or how far you run, I will always find you."

My skin tingled as the air, once again, shifted.

'_MOVE IT!'_

I dived through the window and onto the grass just as the monster cast a powerful, **"Phasmatos Incendia!"** on the building.

Spirit fire roared into existence and immediately began to devour the barn from the inside out. It crackled angrily as it devoured every piece of wood, glass, decoration and body in a manic frenzy.

A sickening shudder ran down my spine.

He had tired to set me on fire… He had almost succeeded… I had almost died…

Oh my god! Oh My God! OH MY GOD!

HE HAD NEARY KILLED ME!

I HAD ALMOST DIED!?

'_Snap out of it, Eve! Lock him inside, NOW!'_

Huh… Why hadn't I thought of that sooner?

"**Phasmatos Terminus**!" I cast the strongest boundary spell I knew and sighed in relief as my magic rushed from my body. It shimmered in the air, causing the grass to rustle and the trees to sway, before solidifying into an impenetrable wall around the burning structure!

With that, I sprinted toward the Parking Lot.

All the cars stood still, undisturbed and far removed from the slaughterhouse. I ran straight for Dad's jeep and tugged at the door handle. But it was locked…

"**Phasmatos Melta!" **I said, pushing my magic out of my palm.

The opening spell worked perfectly!

Perhaps, a little too perfectly…

With a flick of my hand, every car in a two-mile radius suddenly had their doors swung open in synch…

Oops?

It seemed I was highly underestimating the power I needed behind my spells now. Whereas before, my brain had to settle into itself in order to even cast properly. Now, I merely had to utter the words and nature bowed to my command.

I lifted my foot to step inside when, in a 'WHOOSH!' I was spun around and came nose to nose with Malachai Parker.

A beat of surprise flashed across my face.

How had he escaped so quickly? That boundary spell should have taken him five minutes to siphon, not two!? What about the fire? I could still smell the smoke so; he hadn't put it out!

Kai, not wasting anytime, wrapped his hands around my neck and began to squeeze!

"Did you know, that if you have to much magic, you have a tendency of overpowering your spells?" He coked his head to the side as I scratched at his hands, trying desperately to break free.

"Guess you weren't focusing hard enough when you cast your cloaking spell, huh?" He smiled wickedly, the way I imagined a predator would while toying with its food. "Because I can still see you, _Eve."_

"**m… motus…"** I wheezed at the same time he said, **"VODUX!"**

My own spell twisted in on itself, causing it to backfire spectacularly. My diaphragm was sucker-punched by an invisible force. I flew out of Kai's hold and skidded across the concrete with the speed of a bullet train.

Skin was torn from my exposed arms and legs and my dress was shredded to pieces, leaving behind nothing but my singlet and jean shorts.

All the air in my lungs was forced out and my eyes watered uncontrollably.

Finally, I rolled to a stop.

I lay gasping for breath on my back. But every time my lungs inflated, my chest spasmed in pain and my whole body trembled.

"Oh no! Are you ok?" Kai vamp sped to my side, "Wait! Never mind, I don't care."

"**Pha... pha…" **I tried uttering a spell to retaliate but it was no use. I could barely breathe; my chest was screaming in agony and my vision was all blurry with tears.

Kai crouched down and hovered one hand over my chest, "Do you think you'll stop breathing if I press hard enough?"

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for my response.

In answer, I tried to wriggle out of his reach.

"Ah, ah, ah," His hand descended and my air supply was ruthlessly cut-off. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to answer when somebody asks you a question?"

He smiled at his own sick joke while my mouth opened and closed like a fish, waiting for oxygen that would never come.

"So hey, before you kick the bucket, I'm gonna need you to tell me what you did back there," He nodded towards the flames, "Okay? You up for that, sweetheart?"

His hand eased of the pressure but didn't move.

Desperately, I gulped down breath after breath, despite the agony that was my bruised lungs. With each rise and fall, my heart started to slow and my vision cleared.

"What is your name, anyway?" Kai continued, "I don't remember seeing you around in Portland and you're to young to have been alive before my banishment. Yet, you look like a mix between Liv and Joe with the _hair_ and the _eyes_…"

He ran his eyes hungrily over my body, silently devouring it piece by piece.

I'd had enough.

Gathering every last ounce of my strength, I willed my magic to heal my lungs. It complied with an eager giddiness and all my pain faded away.

'_Take this, ASSHOLE!'_

"**Phasmatos Extandas Lomiano!" **I whispered.

"AAAHHHHH!" The sound of sizzling flesh rang like music to me ears.

There was no way Kai was going to be able to touch me now! Not when I had spelled my skin to act like vervain! Most vampires would rather die than be exposed to vervain!

Sure enough, his eyes darkened to black and his veins pulsed angrily in their sockets as the skin on his hands slowly melted to the bone.

"**Phasmatos Oculacs! Invisique!" **

I quickly cancelled my previous cloaking spell (As it was useless if it included that monster!) and cast a new one on just myself and the car directly at my back.

Jumping inside, I slammed my hand onto the dashboard and magically kick-started the engine.

It coughed once… twice… thrice, before sputtering to life!

Not looking back, I pulled the doors shut, put the engine into gear and slammed down on the accelerator.

The tires screeched and I disappeared into the night.

**Did ya like it? Follow or leave a comment if ya did xx**


	3. Decisions, Decisions

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the huge wait, I struggled a lot with this chapter... So, please forgive its short length!**

**Shout out too: DaughterOfHemera, StarReader2009 and, kitsune-miko-witch For Favourtiing my story! It means the world to me that you're all enjoying my story :) xoxo**

**TRIGGER WARNING! (Proceed at your behest)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or The Originals.**

* * *

Never before had driving been so intense.

For every hour I spent in the cover of night, paranoia took a chunk of my sanity with it.

I simply couldn't get the thought out of my head that my mass murdering brother was right behind me, either using a stolen car or vamp running through the trees.

A cloaking spell couldn't get rid of the scent of blood, after all.

For all I knew, he could've passed me already and was waiting around the next corner.

Anything was possible when it came to Malachai Parker!

My only saving grace was that he wouldn't have had time to make a daylight-ring. Meaning he wouldn't be able to walk around in the sunshine without burning himself to cinders!

So, you can imagine the pure relief I felt as the sun rose over the horizon. Its glorious rays bathed me in its brilliance as warmth washed away the tension in my shoulders and I released a breath I hadn't known I was holding.

'_You're safe… For now.'_

Suddenly, my stomach lurched and I felt bile rising in my throat.

"Oh God!" I pulled over onto the side of the road and stumbled out of the car, aiming for the bushes.

Unfortunately, I had barely taken two steps when my stomach lurched again and half of yesterday's lunch came pouring out like a projectile.

It hit the grass with a loud 'SPLAT!' before pooling at my feet in a disgusting puddle.

Beads of sweat ran down my brow and I dropped to my hands and knees, uncaring of the vomit and tried to catch my breath.

Birds sung in the trees and the leaves rustled in the warm wind. The occasional car zoomed past and caused the ground to rumble.

But it barely registered in my shell-shocked mind…

Everything hurt too much!

My head was pounding against my skull, my gut felt like it was being stabbed with an invisible knife and the scrapes and bruises littering my skin stung like a bitch.

"Hurgh!" My stomach muscles clenched and the rest of lunch came hurtling out.

With my nothing left in my system now, I spat out the bile left in my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut.

But no comfort was to be found in my head.

Immediately, images of my father's limp body and empty eyes flashed across the front of my mind and a new thought wormed its way into my heart… My whole world was gone!

In one night, I had held my Dad in my arms and watched him die… I had seen Josette and my unborn nieces be stabbed to death… I had awoken from a strange dream to learn that Kai had killed himself and caused my entire coven's death…

'_And what did you do?'_

I had hidden as the devil rose from the ashes and danced on their graves… I had taken their magic as my own and watched their corpses burn… I had run away like A COWARD!

My jaw clenched and I squeezed my fists until blood pooled in my palms.

I. WAS. A. COWARD.

A coward for RUNNING! A coward for HIDING! A coward for STEALING!

HECK! I was a coward for even SURVIVING!

'_No, you're not, Eve.'_

"YES, I AM!" I shouted back.

'_No. You're. Not.'_

My inner voice sounded so convincing, so sure. She spoke with so much assurance it was as if there had never been any other option available.

But I knew that wasn't true.

No matter who many times my mind argued that I was innocent, my heart told me otherwise. There was no getting around the fact that I had stolen their residual magic, no pretending I wasn't a coward for hiding instead of avenging my coven right there and then!

"I had the power! I knew the spells!" I said angrily, "And I still chose to run!"

_'…'_

Tears rolled down my cheeks, following my old tear tracks as if they'd always been there. Perhaps they had? I couldn't remember anymore… All I knew was that guilt was suffocating me from the inside out and an inescapable urge to keep running pumped through my veins.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself to my feet and got back into the car.

I sat there in silence, as my heart demanded I let my grief swallow me whole! To let myself thrash around in a fit, to cry and sob and wail until there was nothing left!

As the only survivor, I owed it the dead to grieve their loss. They deserved to take everything I could give and then some.

But I couldn't… not yet…

'_**Protect the Gemini At All Costs!'**_

That had been their last request.

It was my duty to go home, settle down, remain hidden and restart the coven from scratch.

Except, as long as Malachai Parker was undead and plotting my death, there was no safe way for me to do that. Kai knew where my home was located, he knew about the concealment charms that protected it and he knew where all the sacred sites were.

I would be an idiot if I went back there now!

No, I needed to find somewhere else to hide, just until I had killed Malachai.

'_But where to go?'_

"Hmmm," I tapped my chin thought.

It had to be somewhere a witch could waltz into town and no one would bat an eyelash. Somewhere with a large supernatural community filled with chaos to get lost in and it had to house bigger and badder creatures than Kai as to ward him off…?

'_Mystic Falls?'_

I scoffed at the ridiculous idea!

Not only was the townhome to a plethora of vampires and the odd witch, the remains of the disaster wedding would be a hot spot for the police, news reporters and nosy townsfolk by now!

Besides, there were no werewolves or hybrids.

'_Portland?'_

Hadn't I just established that home ground was not an option!?

'_Fine…New Orleans?'_

Now that was a thought.

The French Quarter of New Orleans was home to two big bad hybrids, the superpowered crescent werewolf pack, the original vampires, a community of regular vampires and the nine covens of the French Quarter witches.

Their form of Ancestral magic was legendary in its magnitude and capability.

They were one of the only known covens to regularly kill vampires, curse werewolves, protect humans and prevent the making of more hybrids!

If I went to them and asked for help, I was sure to learn how to kill a monster like Kai.

'_That's a pretty big IF, Eve'_

True… But what else did I have to lose?

With my mind made up, my hand slipped into my back pocket and pulled out my cell phone. Its screen was cracked and there was a new dent on the side but it was still workable.

Calling up Siri, I asked for direction, turned on the engine and sped off to my salvation.

"New Orleans, here I come!"

* * *

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	4. Regent Claire

**Sorry for the long wait... I honestly was just going to abandon this fic when another story I'm working on gave me a new wave of inspiration and I decided to give it another shot. Soooo, yeah. Don't keep your hopes up for another update anytime soon...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Evangeline Parker.**

* * *

Driving for fourteen hours straight hours was not an experience I ever planned on repeating…

Unfortunately, the car had broken down just inside the borders of New Orleans and I'd had to walk on foot the rest of the way into the city. To say I was feeling weary and sore would be the understatement of the century!

"Oof!" I huffed, collapsing onto the nearest bench.

Somehow, my lost and sleep-deprived mind had navigated itself to a large square, directly in front of a big, gothic cathedral. The place was outlined with wispy tall trees and couples occupied themselves on the other seats, various street food in hand.

"Wow, this place is big," I said.

'_And you're using up valuable time!'_

"Just give me a minute…" I huffed, taking a moment to close my eyes and feel the midday sun sinking into my pasty white skin. It felt warm and comforting, like one of Liv and Luke's big twin hugs on a summer afternoon…

God, I missed her… I missed them all!

Unbidden, tears began to pool in my eyes again and I angrily swiped them away.

Now was not the time to grieve! Kai could appear anywhere at any time!

'_It's best you keep your guard up.'_

Nodding to my own inner self, I pushed myself sluggishly to my feet and focused my mind on my newly acquired magic.

It was still bubbling under the surface, bursting at the brim to get out and desperate to help.

A small shudder ran down my spine… it was so, so powerful!

How I had managed to absorb ALL of my fallen coven members magic and NOT die was still a mystery to me. But how I was going to have to tame it and keep it under control was not.

I'd always been pretty strong for an eighteen-year-old witch, so I had a lot of experience with learning control and precision.

Now, all I had to do was apply what Dad had taught me to the power of one hundred…

Yay?

Rooting my feet to the ground, I allowed a tiny piece of my magic to trickle into the earth and focused on where it was naturally pulled. Within a couple of seconds, I felt a tug in my gut and began to follow it.

I followed the thread through winding buildings, glassy skyscrapers, and down old, rustic cobblestone streets. Until the street signs switched to French and I found myself approaching a massive city of the dead.

"Huh… Lafayette Cemetery," The rustic iron sign read.

This had to be the centre of the French Quarter Coven's Ancestral Well!

That certainly explained the dark, icky feeling of the places magic. I could practically hear the screams and moans of the dead souls trapped inside it…

'_So, it's a little spooky. Has that ever stopped you before?'_

No, no it had not!

Reeling my magic back into my body, I took a deep breath and stepped past the cemetery's threshold.

Immediately, my mind was hit with an overwhelming sense of dread and death and I struggled to not throw up right there, in front of a small group of tourists.

They each gave me a funny look when the random girl by the gate made a "Hurgh!" sound but went back to the business when I mouthed the word, 'Period Pain.'

"Get. A. Grip. Eve!" I whispered-scolded, "Just find the coven leader, stat!"

With a huff and groan, I straightened my shoulders confidentially and moved towards where the voices were screaming the loudest.

I reached a tall, imposing mausoleum located in the centre of the cemetery, which was surrounded by a short, iron picket fence. The whole thing simply reeked of sacrificial magic and I knew I'd found the place.

"Um, hello? Excuse me, is anybody home?" I yelled, taking a small step inside.

"Yes?" A girl, short with beautiful chocolate hair and big brown doe eyes stepped out the shadows. She wore a stylish pair of high heeled boots that Liv would have killed for and long, grey sleeveless dress that had a cute half turtleneck.

Not to mention the way her magic wrapped around her person like an iron shield!

She was a very powerful witch.

I liked her immediately!

"Hi! Yeah, sorry for barging in," I stammered, feeling a tad sheepish compared to her effortless beauty. "Are you, by any chance, able to take me to one of your elders? Or know where I can find your coven leader?"

The girl, no _young woman,_ raised a curious eyebrow before beckoning me to follow.

Not really wanting to step into the heart of another coven's sacred ground but not wanting to come across rude either, I let her lead me to a large circular room full of burning candles.

"My name is Davina Claire," She announced, spinning on her heel, and giving me a flat, unimpressed look, "And I am the Regent of the Nine French Quarter Covens."

Oh… Wasn't she a bit young to already be a Coven Leader?

She barely looked seventeen!

'_And you're eighteen, what's the difference?'_

Clearing my throat, I gave Ms Claire a short, polite nod of acknowledgment and buried my curious thoughts beneath years of ingrained decorum training.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Regent Claire," I said, "My name is Evangeline Parker and I come to your coven seeking asylum and council."

A look of shock fluttered across the brunette's face before she smothered it.

But my keen, bloodshot eyes caught it none the less.

'_She must be pretty new if she hasn't dealt with an asylum case before.'_

Or perhaps the New Orleans Witches weren't used to being the first place a displaced witch sort out safety?

That would make relative sense.

After all, ancestral magic-users tended to keep to themselves.

"I shall convene with my Coven and the Ancestors," she announced, her voice sounding lovely and lyrical, "In the meantime, I welcome you to stay inside our sacred grounds. You are invited to my Coven's council meeting at five to plead your case."

"Thank you! Thank you so, so much!" I cried in joy.

Davina Claire simply nodded a little awkwardly before turning around, closing her eyes, and muttering softly in old French, clearly getting in contact with the witch spirits.

I rushed out of the mausoleum with a skip in my step and flopped down on one of the empty, grass-covered lots, close to the entrance gate.

For the first time in days, I felt safe.

There was no way _The Heretic_ (I couldn't bear to even say his name out loud!) could step foot inside the cemetery, the sun wouldn't go down for another couple of hours and my cloaking spell was still in full effect!

It was time to take a good, long nap.

I certainly needed it…

Closing my eyes, I curled up in the grass and let my consciousness slip away to the sound of chirping birds, rustling leaves, and the hum of magic pulsing through my veins.

* * *

**If you've got any ideas of where you want this narrative, feel free to comment or PM me :)**


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